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HB Grandi is museum’s chief sponsor

An agreement has been signed under which HB Grandi will be the chief sponsor of the Reykjavík Maritime Museum for the next five years. The company will support the museum and in return has access to the museum for meetings, receptions, signings and other events.

According to Gudbrandur Benediktsson of the municipal museums authority, of which the maritime museum is a part, the agreement is very important.

‘For us it’s a very satisfactory honour to receive support from one of the country’s best respected fisheries companies to continue the work that began here in 2005. We have an exhibition dedicated to fishing and fish processing, and we intend to re-think this from first principles with emphasis on the relationship between man and the sea,’ he said, commenting that he is not certain that people are aware of just how important the fishing industry is to Reykjavík and for how long this has been the case.

‘Fisheries in Reykjavík play a central role in the city’s industrial history, right from the very start. The port construction between 1913 and 1917 was a huge undertaking at the time and a significant step forward. We want to make this history available to both Icelanders and foreign visitors, and to increase the information available,’ said Gudbrandur Benediktsson, adding that this year is expected to see 50,000 visitors to the museum.